Fully Charged: Facebook apologises for emotional manipulation, Eliss Infinity hits Android, and KORG’s Nintendo 3DS synth

Facebook sorry for News Feed psychological experiment

Word broke over the weekend that back in 2012, Facebook intentionally manipulated the News Feeds of some 689,000 users, showing fewer positively-toned posts for half and fewer negative posts for the other—all in an effort to see how what users saw affected how they in turn posted their own content.

Many of us have welcomed Facebook into our lives as a crucial part of our daily routines and a way to keep tabs on our various social groups—so when it became known that some of us may have been unwittingly looped into a psychological experiment, the general reaction was rather negative. (And if it had been posted to Facebook during that span in 2012, perhaps some of your friends wouldn’t have seen it. Or maybe they would have!)

Adam Kramer, one of Facebook’s data scientists, apologised Sunday in a public post to his own account, saying that the study was done to measure the emotional impact of the social networking site. He also noted that they’ve “come a long way” since their research practices in early 2012.

“Having written and designed this experiment myself, I can tell you that our goal was never to upset anyone. I can understand why some people have concerns about it, and my coauthors and I are very sorry for the way the paper described the research and any anxiety it caused,” he wrote. “In hindsight, the research benefits of the paper may not have justified all of this anxiety.”

[Sources: Animal New York, Facebook]

READ MORE: What Facebook number are you?

Eliss Infinity released for Android, updated for iOS

Eliss, one of the earliest original iPhone games that really felt designed for a touch device, was remastered and expanded with Eliss Infinity for iOS a few months back, and now the game has finally been released for Android for the first time ever.

Created by indie developer Steph Thirion of Little Eyes—and ported to Android by Finji, a new studio founded by Canabalt creator Adam Saltsman and his wife, Rebekah—Eliss finds you fusing and splitting planets to clear them from existence, all with responsive multitouch controls and a great lo-fi aesthetic.

Additionally, the iOS version has been updated to add a bunch of alterations and features seen in the Android version, including difficulty and visual tweaks, the addition of Game Center achievements, and a multitouch bump from five fingers on iPad to 11—so bring a friend, we suppose! Eliss Infinity is priced at £1.99 on both platforms.

[Source: Little Eyes]

READ MORE: 30 fantastic free Android games

KORG DSN-12 bringing synth bliss to Nintendo 3DS

Releasing a portable music creation package for the Nintendo DS didn’t seem like the most thrilling idea, but KORG knocked it out of the park with the DS-10 back in 2008, delivering a synthesizer suite that didn’t skimp on features despite the diminutive screen size. Now the the synth-simulating wizards are back with a new version for Nintendo’s current handheld, the Nintendo 3DS.

Set to release in September, KORG DSN-12 will be released digitally through the eShop and offer a dozen different monophonic synthesizers inspired by the classic MS-10 analog model from 1978. Up to 64 patterns can be saved, plus you’ll find effects and pattern program features within.

The DSN-12 also features the world’s first oscilloscope screen on a 3D display—so not only can the output sound incredibly cool, but it can look the part as well.

[Source: KORG via Engadget]

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.